Like a Blossoming Rose (HIATUS)
by PerfectAngels98
Summary: (FOR NOW ON HOLD DUE TO SEVERAL ISSUES. SORRY. )Another after-Pein story. Naruhina... After Hinata is kidnapped will Naruto develop feelings for her as they spend time together? How will he answer Hinata's confession? I suck at summaries so please read it :
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I finally figured out how to write this... *facepalm* I am so stupid sometimes... :D well anyways ENJOY!

**Like a Blossoming Rose…**

**By: narusilvermoon98**

**A Naruhina Story**

**CHAPTER 1: Mixed Feelings and Crystal Tears**

The sun seeped through the curtains and caressed the sleeping boy's face. Slowly, his eyelids opened to reveal two sparkling blue orbs. The whiskered boy yawned and he just lay there… thinking."_ …Because I love you!"_ Those words still clearly rang in his ears. He still remembered the pale lavender eyes full of determination as she rose to protect him. He still remembered the immense ache in his heart as he saw her being stabbed. Sure, he had on the battle, but his heart still ached as if something had been torn away. The moment he had heard those wonderful words flow from her lips, he was full of joy and shock. He would've never imagined that the shy girl would feel that way towards him. He was glad that though everyone hated him back then, someone had actually always cared for him… and to almost die in front of his eyes right after he was told. _Hinata_… The boy sat up on his bed in the Konoha Hospital.

Soon after there was a knock at the door and a familiar voice said, "Can I come in Naruto?"

"Sure…" Naruto replied, barely audible.

The pink haired kunoichi entered the room and slowly closed the door behind her. Usually, Naruto would be thrilled by her visits, but today his head was a mess.

The green-eyed girl stared at him for a moment and then began his daily checkup. "You should look more alive. You are the hero of the village after all."

_Right… I saved the village from Pein._ He could remember the events clearly… When he had realized the damage he had done to the village, another arrow had been shot into his chest; though later it was removed when he was informed everyone was okay… including Hinata. Naruto was greeted by the villagers with an uproar of joy. He was even hugged by Sakura! Any other time and he would have been immensely happy, but that day he just felt… messed up, just like now.

"Well, you are doing well. You should be out of here in a couple of days," Sakura informed.

Naruto just stared blankly at his teammate. He still liked Sakura, right? He was pretty sure he didn't have any feelings for Hinata beyond a precious friend… Or did he?

"You sure are quiet today," remarked Sakura "In case you are wondering, you should be able to eat ramen soon. Probably by tomorrow… You sure are healing fast."

"I'm done here. Let me know if you need anything okay?" the pink haired girl said. "I will be at the room right across checking on Hinata."

The boy immediately perked up. _Hinata is in here too?_ His heart sank just as fast…_ She's in here because of me…_

"Hey Sakura," the blond called out "After you check on Hinata can you tell me how she is doing?"

"Sure thing Naruto," Sakura said and left the room, once again shutting the door quietly behind her.

The young medic-nin headed towards Hinata's room when she saw Neji Hyuuga come out, quickly nod as a greeting and leave, briefly saying "If her condition changes, tell me at once."

She also nodded in reply and left quickly. Neji could be a little scary sometimes, considering he is the most powerful descendant from the Hyuuga clan, besides Lord Hiashi and his father of course. He and Hinata got along much better than when they were kids…

Sakura quietly entered the Hyuuga heiress's room and found the girl staring blankly out the window.

"Hey Hinata," said Sakura cheerfully "How are you doing?" She swiftly retrieved her clipboard and began her checkup.

"Umm… fine Sakura, thank you." Hinata said softly.

"I just finished Naruto's checkup too. Both of you should be out in about three days." She said as she checked her blood pressure.

At the mention of the boy's name, Hinata blushed and began fidgeting with her fingers. _Good old Hinata…_ thought Sakura. That girl was always a bit weird but she knew it was because she loved Naruto. She herself had seen how far Hinata would go to protect Naruto…_ To try to go against an opponent she knows she is no match for is crazy. What had she been thinking?_ She knew the answer well enough_. _Sakura thought back to after the Chuunin exams when Naruto and she had been trying to track down Gaara and… When she had seen his slumped form on a tree, she stood in front of him, not caring if she was no match against Gaara, who was at the moment possessed by the One-Tailed Shukaku. At the moment, she could've given up her life. She just wanted to protect him… _Sasuke…_ Tears began to form small puddles in her eyes so she quickly turned away and thought of what to say.

"Shino, Kiba, and Kurenai Sensei came to visit you yesterday, but you were asleep so I told them to come today. They could be popping up in here anytime soon."

"Thank you Sakura." Hinata mumbled "H-how in N-Naruto doing?"

"Fine, a little better than you by the means of recovering. He should be out of here the same day as you."

_So Naruto is fine… I hope I didn't make things worse in his fight with Pein. I am always a burden…_ She too started to feel her eyes moisten and her tears welling up, yelling to be freed. Hinata turned her head quickly and tilted her head so her indigo hair could cover her tear-streaked face. Sakura felt a change in her mood and left the room with the silence only a ninja could possess. The room being empty now, Hinata cried into her pillow, muffling the sound.

There was a small knock on the door and Hinata wiped her face instantly.

"C-Come in," she told whoever was behind the door.

She was surprised to see Naruto walk in with his hands bandaged up, but his face just had a couple of minor scratches. When the blonde's blue eyes met hers, she blushed madly.

"Hello N-Naruto," she stammered.

"Hey, Hinata! How are you doing? Sakura told me that you were fine, but I decided to check for myself." Naruto replied cheerfully. "I sneaked in here so I can't stay for long."

_Naruto sneaked in here to see me?_ The thought sent a fresh wave of blood to her face, almost making her faint.

When she opened her eyes, Naruto's face was just inches from hers, and he stared at her so intently that she felt she would get engulfed in those wonderful eyes of his. Hinata quickly turned away for fear she might faint.

"Listen, I'm sorry Hinata. It's my fault that you are in here." Naruto said quietly.

"No! I-I wanted to do that… I wanted to help you because…"

The two turned away, slight blushes on both of their faces this time.

_How can I tell her that I don't love her…? I think. Don't I just like Sakura? I am confused… I wished the pervy sage was here. He would know lots about these types of situations. But I can't just tell it to her straight in the face, not after what she did for me. _

His thoughts were interrupted when someone crashing in through the door.

"NARUTOOO!"

_Sakura… good timing. _He needed to get out of there fast.

"What are you doing in here! You are going to make me break a couple ribs and then you'll be in the hospital even longer!" the medic-nin fumed.

"S-sorry Sakura…I…." Naruto said as he was being dragged away "Bye Hinata, see you later!"

_Sakura can be pretty scary sometimes….even Naruto is scared of her and she is his teammate! _Hinata thought. Though she was sad to see Naruto go, she was relieved at the same time… _Why did I have to tell him? Now everything is weird between us. I hope he forgets it soon. It would be embarrassing for me to talk to him about it. But it would break my heart to hear those words come out of his mouth: I don't love you. Still, how can he love me or even notice me if he has Sakura, whom he had always liked? She is much better for him…_ A silent tear dripped onto the white sheet over her lap. She quickly dried her face as she heard the loud noises of her teammates approach the door.

"Hinata!" exclaimed a familiar voice

"Hello Kiba, Shino…" Hinata said happily. She felt at home when her teammates where besides her.

"Hello Hinata, are you feeling better?" inquired Shino.

"Yes, I am very happy to see you both."

"Hey Hinata, look out your window," Kiba said.

Hinata looked out the window and saw a huge dog sitting outside.

"Akamaru!" said Hinata "Thank you for bringing him too."

"He misses you a lot too Hinata, we all do." Kiba replied, "They didn't let me bring him in though."

"Ah, that's fine at least I can see him" said Hinata "Will you give him a scratch behind the ears for me?"

"Sure, he would love that!" Kiba grinned, "So when are you going to be out of this…place."

Hinata smiled. Kiba was always nervous near any hospitals, especially veterinary clinics.

"S-sakura said I could leave tomorrow if I want, just that I shouldn't do much until two days after I left."

"That's good, with all the village being repaired there aren't many spare shinobi to take care of missions." Kiba said. "Kurenai Sensei wanted to come, but she had a meeting with the Hokage.

"Kiba we must leave now and meet Kurenai Sensei. Besides visiting hours are over." said Shino.

"OK, Bye Hinata" said Kiba.

"Take care Hinata."Shino said.

"Bye and thank you for coming…" replied Hinata softly.

The next day Naruto was already dressed in his trademark orange and black jumpsuit. _I have to get out of here fast. I don't know if I can face Hinata again without hurting her. I need time away to think what to say to her without damaging our friendship._ He quickly told Sakura he was leaving and headed towards the Hokage's office.

He was surprised to find Tsunade and Shizune at work already. Both of them had been hurt during Pein's attack on Konoha. Until recently, Tsunade had been in a coma, yet she seemed back to her normal self.

"Hey Grandma Tsunade!" Naruto exclaimed "Nice to see you back."

"Just because you saved Konoha I will let it slip this time, but next time you call me Grandma you will be back with Sakura in the hospital." replied Tsunade sharply. A smile spread across her face. "Welcome back Naruto. What can I do for you?"

"Can you send me on a mission? I don't care even if it is a D rank mission; I need to get out of Konoha."

"Really? You already want to get into action when you came out of the hospital today? What's the rush? You don't want to help with the rebuilding do you?" Tsunade smirked.

Naruto blushed slightly as he said "No, it's not that…"

The hokage had a puzzled look on her face as she said, "No, for now I don't have any missions available. If I get a report for one I will tell you."

"Oh well thanks Grandma Tsunade…" replied Naruto as he dashed out when he heard a very irritated "NARUTOOO GET BACK HERE!" He was smart enough not to obey. Tsunade and Sakura were very alike…

That night, Hinata slept back in her room in the Hyuuga manor. It took a while for her to go to sleep for she kept on thinking about Naruto. Even when she slept, her thoughts centered on him. If only she hadn't told him. She didn't want to lose his precious friendship. She was so profoundly asleep that she did not notice the shadow figure closing in on her…

TO BE CONTINUED…

How did you like that? Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am soooo glad to see that you guys enjoy this story! Well here is the second chapter…ENJOY! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or else Naruto would've been with Hinata a looong time ago xD**

**Special Thanks to: Rose Tiger, ., and Hopewolf13 you guys kept me going! :D**

**Like a Blossoming Rose…. **

**A Naruhina Story**

**Chapter 2: I swear I will save you…**

Naruto yawned as he woke up in his own bed, shielding his eyes from the sun's fingers. He took his nightcap off and slowly began dressing. He sleepily stumbled over to his kitchen. It was simply a mess, yet somehow the whiskered boy managed to find the refrigerator without stumbling over. He opened the milk and drank right from the carton. Next he placed the boiling water in the ramen cup. Three minutes later, and fully awake, Naruto ate his favorite combination for breakfast: milk and instant ramen. He was about to slurp up some noodles when there was a knocking at the door.

"Naruto, hurry up and open." said the voice outside.

"Sakura?" Naruto said. The knocking was very frantic and fast so he quickly went to the door, careful not to trip over anything and opened it.

Sakura barged in with a shocked look on her face. Naruto followed her to his living room. There she stopped and turned around to face him. She had a look of irritation and concern all mixed together in her green eyes.

"What's up Sakura? It's nice of you to drop by" Naruto said trying to lighten the mood.

"Naruto," Sakura said as she slapped the top of his head, "This is no time for jokes! I am here for a very grave problem. You must come to Lady Tsunade's office immediately."

Now Naruto was beginning to get worried, "What? Why, what happened?"

"Hinata has been kidnapped…" Sakura replied gravely.

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade will explain everything once we get there so let's go!"Sakura said.

The two ninja quickly left his apartment and headed towards the Hokage's office at full speed.

Tsunade was doing paper work when Naruto slammed open the entrance doors and ran in.

"Where is she? Where is Hinata?" Naruto basically yelled at her.

"Calm down, Naruto. Let me explain what happened. You might want to sit down." Tsunade said calmly.

"I'm listening…" replied Naruto, all the while standing up.

"Yesterday at night, a band of about 10 Kumo ninja infiltrated the Hyuuga manor. They attacked Lord Hiashi directly and soon, Neji and the other Hyuuga came out of their rooms to help. Hiashi defeated them immediately and everyone gathered… even the elders. Everyone except Hinata… Neji was the first to notice and went directly to her room, but when he opened the door, the room was empty and the window was open," Tsunade said sternly "Then they realized that the assault on Hiashi had just been a diversion to carry out the real plan: the kidnapping of the Hyuuga heir."

Naruto's knees began to shake so he sat down. His usually sparkling blue eyes were now dull, shaded with anger and fear.

"Why, why would they kidnap her?" Naruto said. His voice was cracking.

"We are not sure about that part. We think that they wanted to take the advantage that Konoha was in a moment of crisis to try and retrieve the secrets of the byakugan. They went for Hinata because she was the easiest target."

Naruto quickly rose out of the chair, "What are we waiting for, let's go save her!"

"Naruto don't be so rash."

Naruto turned around to find Kakashi standing next to Sakura.

"Kakashi is right. The Hyuuga have split into two groups: one is protecting the Hyuuga residence in case they break in again and the other is headed towards Kumogakure right now. Hiashi is leading the second group, they will go there and find out why they kidnapped his daughter and bring her back." Tsunade continued, "I let the Hyuuga do as they wanted, yet I have come to suspect that Kumo wasn't responsible for Hinata's kidnapping. We may have to worry about another enemy."

"What!"all three ninja exclaimed at once.

"Yes, Shizune and I came to the conclusion that the one behind all these could be one of Orochimaru's followers. We assume that we are dealing with Kabuto Yakushi, his main disciple. He may be continuing Orochimaru's research. We are not sure, for all we know it could be Kumogakure trying to extract Hinata's kekkei genkai. They already tried before, so what is to stop them this time?"

The mention of Kabuto and Orochimaru sent a shiver down his spine followed by a wave of rage. They were the ones who took his precious friend before… _Sasuke_… The room went dead silent.

"That is where you come in…" Tsunade said, breaking the silence, "Sai is on an important mission elsewhere, so the remaining Team 7 will travel to Otogakure in hopes of finding any traces of Kabuto and Hinata. We don't want to take the chance that Kumo does not have Hinata and Kabuto does. If you manage to find Hinata and save her, take her to the Land of Tea. She will be safe there for meantime, my old friend will watch over her. Hanabi was already escorted to another region the Hyuuga have kept confidential. They want to protect the heirs at all cost. If something were to happen to any of these two, especially Hinata, the Hyuuga clan will be thrown in an uproar of chaos."

"Oh and this mission has another part to it. I know this may be hard for you, but Sasuke Uchiha was spotted in Otogakure. If you see him, you have orders to capture him at once, but keep in mind that Kabuto and Hinata are your priority."

At the mention of Sasuke, both Naruto and Sakura slumped a little and lowered their heads. Then Naruto raised his head, his eyes full of determination as he said, "Don't worry Grandma, we'll bring **BOTH** of them back. Just you wait…"

With that, Team 7 vanished from the room in a puff of smoke.

Hinata slowly opened her eyes to reveal the shocking truth… She hadn't dreamed about being kidnapped….she **WAS** kidnapped. Once she was fully awake, she searched her surroundings with her byakugan. It appeared to be some sort of hideout, most likely in a cave judging by the stalactites on the roof and the walls of stone. She was in some sort of room with iron bars in the single window and a metal door. Her byakugan sensed two guards outside the door keeping watch. Her wrists, feet, and mouth were tied up with some sort or chakra thread. Very powerful chakra thread… The chakra felt almost… _malicious_? She couldn't help the tears that rolled down as she thought, _'Naruto… please come help me…'_

Hinata stiffened as she saw two others approaching the door and deactivated her byakugan. A gruff looking guy entered followed by a cloaked figure with…. a _tail_ coming from under his cloak?

"She is in here, we did just as you instructed us boss." said the first man.

"Good job Gorou, you and your team shall be rewarded." the second man replied.

"Thank you Kabuto, we are here to serve you." the man named Gorou said.

"You may go now, I will check on my newest guest."Kabuto replied with a slithery voice.

Hinata's heart froze as the door opened and the cloaked man came in. He had a very unusual cloak on, it was deep purple cloak with two bright red, white and yellow markings similar to eyes on the hood. Hinata cringed, as the man gave off a deadly and evil feeling.

"So you must be Hyuuga Hinata, the next heir to the Hyuuga clan… What a prize catch my minions have caught," Kabuto said slowly "What a pity, I would've loved to keep you to research those eyes of yours, but I need to offer you to Madara as a sign of peace. He will make a great ally; I can just kidnap your cousin if I need another Hyuuga. That way, I will follow in Master Orochimaru's footsteps and maybe even surpass him."

"Gorou and Tadao, bring our guest food and water. We do not want our precious package to arrive damaged."

The man from before and another came in and Kabuto left. Gorou filled a cup with water and the other man came near her. He was a bit smaller than Gorou but not as thick. He removed the strong chakra threads from her mouth and then stared at her.

"You know this one is actually not bad, Gorou. She's kinda pretty."

"Oh shut up Tadao, don't mess with her. Don't you see those eyes? She is a Hyuuga. With her byakugan she can kill you!" Gorou said sternly.

" She looks like a pretty defenseless little mouse." Tadao stated as he looked her up and down, "She has some big cleavage too."

He reached out to stroke her face, but when his hand came close to her mouth, she opened her mouth and brought down her teeth on it.

"Owww! Let me go!" yelled Tadao. He smacked Hinata's head with his left hand, yet she would not let go.

"Told you… some defenseless mouse she turned out to be." When he saw Tadao was bleeding from his hand he separated the two.

"Aahh! She made my hand bleed! She almost tore it apart! Help me I'm gonna die!"

Gorou smacked Tadao on the back of his head and untied Hinata's hands so she could eat. "Shut up will you? Lets go with Master Kabuto so he could heal your hand."

As Tadao was dragged out he yelled " I like them feisty!"

What a disgusting man, thought Hinata. Now that she was alone her thoughts wandered to the person she loved. Once again she thought, Naruto… please help me…"

Naruto quickly packed his stuff and left to the clearing. There, Sakura and Kakashi Sensei were waiting for him. Kakashi silently nodded to them and took off. The two exchanged somber stares and then took off after their sensei.

Naruto kept in pace with his teammates, yet his thoughts were elsewhere. _Hinata, no matter what I swear that I will save you._ His friend had almost given up her life to protect him, now it was his turn to return the favor.

Meanwhile…

Hiashi stood in front of the Raikage. He stared at him with cold pale lavender eyes.

"Where is my daughter?" exclaimed Hiashi.

"As we told you, we do not have her. Sure we will take her if you hand her over, but for now the Hyuuga hold no interest for us." the Raikage replied.

"Then who has her? Ten Kumo ninja attacked my home! You cannot say you didn't do that either!"

"Well we didn't. At the time I have other matters to attend to than your lost heir." the Raikage said.

" I demand an explanation!" Hiashi yelled.

"Since you insist on accusing us, I have no other choice but to imprison you for accusing me falsely until I get some sort of compensation" the Raikage said, "Guards… arrest Hiashi Hyuuga and his companions until further notice!"

"This is a mistake! I know what I saw and I saw your ninja break in my house and directly assault me!" Hiashi exclaimed.

"You are the one who has disrupted the peace in Kumo by accusing me of such things! At the same time, I have weakened Konoha by capturing the head of the Hyuuga clan!"

"Hiroshi," said Hiashi to one of the other Hyuuga, "Tell Lady Tsunade what has happened and to aid us. Also bring me any information on my daughter's disappearance. She may not be here."

"Yes my Lord." replied Hiroshi and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade was working on paperwork when Kiba and Shino entered the room.

"Hokage, why didn't you tell us Hinata was kidnapped! I return from a mission and she is gone." Kiba barked.

"Kiba, calm down… Team 7 and the Hyuuga are trying to retrieve her right now as we speak-"

Tsunade was interrupted by Hiroshi, one of Hiashi's most trusted advisors.

"Lady Hokage, I have an urgent message from Lord Hiashi… The Hyuuga who went to Kumogakure are now under arrest because they accused the Raikage falsely as the Raikage himself stated. They need help immediately." Hiroshi said frantically.

"I was actually hoping Kumo did have Hinata… Now my fears have come true and Hinata may be in grave danger. Tell Hiashi I will send ANBU immediately to help."

"Then who has Lady Hinata?" asked Hiroshi.

"Kabuto Yakushi." replied Tsunade somberly.

CHAPTER 3 coming….


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** Thank you to all the people who reviewed my story I appreciate every single one of you! Well here is the next chapter… ENJOY! :D**

**SPECIAL THANKS to:**

**.: ****Thank you for your encouragement, yeah they better stay away from Naruto's property!**

**Rose Tiger: ****Yes Naruto hurry! xD**

**esm writer 24****: thank you very much ^^**

**and Hopewolf 13 for all your guys's support! Thank you! Well without further ado…. Here is the new chapter!**

**Like a Blossoming Rose…**

**A Naruhina Story**

**Chapter 3: Desperation**

The sun rose early in the morning and lit Naruto's sleeping face. His eyelids opened slowly to reveal two sleepy sparkling blue orbs. He rose slowly and sat up as he scanned his surroundings. He was still in the make-shift tent alongside with his comrades. To his left, slept Kakashi and to his left slept his pink haired friend. It seemed as if nothing was wrong but, Naruto new better… It was not peachy perfect, one of his precious friends, was in serious trouble. _"Don't worry Hinata, no matter what I'll save you,"_ he thought. Naruto stood and walked outside the tent, he stretched a bit, ready to begin that day's journey.

"What is taking them so long to wake up?" Naruto wondered aloud as he walked back to the tent. Didn't they know that every second wasted was seconds that Hinata's life was at risk. When he entered he saw his teammates already up and packing.

"Naruto, what are you doing up before us," said Sakura "That is almost as impressive as Kakashi sensei being early."

Naruto smiled at that remark and followed her outside. In a second, Kakashi had packed u the tent.

"Maybe we should eat breakfast first before setting out." mumbled Sakura as she listened to her growling stomach.

"There is no time for breakfast! Hinata is in danger by the second!" the blonde exclaimed.

Naruto marched on ahead of the two, raising his knees high with every step. Soon his own stomach protested and put up a fight. He stopped midway in his march, turned around and quickly went back to the two with long strides.

"He he…um maybe we should eat breakfast first."Naruto said meekly, " I call the instant ramen!"

He quickly skipped to a tree stump, all the while avoiding Sakura's glare… If looks could kill, he would fall dead on the spot.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

Hinata woke up to the staring eyes of the man she recognized as Tadao. Instantly, she flinched and cringed away from him. Her pale eyes scanned him until they reached his left hand. If she hadn't been so terrified, her small lips would have curled into a small smile. So their great leader Kabuto hadn't been able to fully heal his hand…such a pity. Her inner Hinata danced a little jig in victory as she stared at his bandaged left hand. **Hinata: 1 Tadao: 0**

The cell door opened and Gorou walked in with a plate of mush in his hand. Hinata raised a delicate eyebrow in a questioning look as she realized he was wearing an apron with flower print. It dawned on her that he must cook all of the delightful…mush. He handed her the plate and a pair of wooden chopsticks.

"Looking good Gorou," Tadao relied "That apron brings out your gruff and wonderfully ugly beard."

To this, Gorou replied by landing a clean blow to his already crooked teeth. Tadao scrambled away and behind his back, stuck out his tongue at Gorou, then he left with a quick "See ya later beautiful."

Hinata shuddered in disgust, and turned to see the man serving her a glass of water. Despite her dire situation, she held in her urge to laugh. No matter how gruff and dangerous a man is, you can never take him seriously if he is wearing a flower print apron. **Hinata: 2 Tadao/Gorou: 0** He removed the cloth from her mouth and she pretended to eat the mush, not wanting to hurt his feelings, all the while not taking even the slightest nibble.

After a quick breakfast, Team 7 minus one, set off on their mission to retrieve the missing Hyuuga heiress. With a full stomach, Naruto resumed his march and of course being Naruto, stepped in a hole and got his foot stuck.

"Um guys… I think I'm stuck."

"Naruto, you big idiot… How did you get stuck in a hole? Weren't you watching were you were going! "Sakura ranted.

Kakashi sighed and started towards Naruto when suddenly, Naruto was carried up near the tops of the trees in a net.

"Sakura…get back. It's a trap!"Kakashi exclaimed.

Instantly he and Sakura took on fighting stances, and Naruto searched the trees. Suddenly, a group of rouge ninja fell from the high branches.

"Sakura! Kakashi sensei!"Naruto screamed.

He watched helplessly as his comrades were attacked. He knew he had no reason to fear because his friends were very capable ninja, yet he wanted to be there to protect them. It was just a natural feeling he had within him. He watched as Sakura put on her gloves and Kakashi kept his Sharingan hidden. Naruto was relieved, for if Kakashi didn't reveal his Sharingan, the enemy must not be such a big threat. He managed to grab a kunai, even in his awkward position, from his weapon pouch and tried to cut the net. Yet, he received a small shock every time he tried to slice the threads apart.

"Naruto can you cut the net?" Kakashi asked while his kunai met the edge of another. With a quick kick he sent the enemy ninja spiraling backwards. He was managing to defend himself simply by using taijutsu.

"No. It's made out of some sort of chakra thread."Naruto yelled.

Sakura meanwhile looked like she was just playing around as she knocked out her foes with a single punch. Yet every punch was full with concentrated chakra that resulted in super strength that could make a whole building collapse. She was the great Sanin Tsunade's pupil and apprentice after all. An enemy ninja stood in front of the tree which held Naruto, and just as Sakura was going to land a clean one on his face, he dodged and she hit the tree instead. With a thundering crack, the mighty tree fell down, dragging a freaked-out Naruto along.

"HELP ME!" Naruto cried as the tree fell down along with him.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

"He will manage… Pay attention on your left!" Kakashi yelled at her.

Sakura turned to her left just in time to dodge the kunai. She took him out in a matter of seconds.

Naruto only heard the sounds of clashing metal from inside the tree. Somehow he had gotten caught in the hole Sakura had made with her inhuman strength… and he was still caught in the net. Somehow he was the only one who was always in this kind of situation…why?

"Hey Naruto, are you okay?" he faintly heard Sakura question.

"Yeah…but I'm still sorta stuck in here, so that could be a problem." Naruto called out.

"So you can't cut the threads?"asked Sakura, "I can always just smash the tree open."

Naruto paled at the thought of Sakura smashing the tree open. If she did that, then…he would be smashed open as well…

"N-no S-sakura… no need to be hasty… I'll find a way out… eventually."Naruto stuttered.

"Naruto…did you try using the Rasengan to cut the threads and the tree?" This time it was Kakashi's voice that came from above.

Rasengan…pah, what a dumb… why hadn't HE thought of that?

"Fine I'll give it a go."Naruto said as he formed a familiar hand sign that he knew by heart. A clone appeared in the same weird position as him and gave him the:_ w-t-f-are-we-doing-like-this-and-why-did-you-summon-me-in-this-situation_. In turn, the original gave him the _shut-up-and-follow-my-orders_ stare. The clone mentally agreed and helped his master do the Rasengan technique.

Kakashi and Sakura felt a little stupid staring at the motionless tree…waiting for…something. Out of nowhere they heard a muffled "RASENGAN!" as Naruto erupted from the tree and the clone disappeared with a poof.

"See wasn't that easy?"said Kakashi in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Hmph…"said Naruto while pouting and walking away.

"This time don't get stuck in a hole…"mocked Sakura.

"I am never going to live this down…"whispered Naruto under his breath.

Hinata was staring out the small cell window when once again someone entered her cell. She recognized the cloaked man in an instant and everything inside her yelled: RUN! DANGER ALERT! She had been bound with chakra threads once more, so she was unable to move more than a cringe.

He walked near her and studied her. He made a hand motion and almost immediately Tadao and Gorou appeared at Kabuto's side.

"Isn't she a bit thinner than when you first brought her?"Kabuto said almost menacingly.

"Well, maybe a little bit…but that's because Gorou's cooking is so bad."Tadao said.

"She refuses to eat boss and not because my cooking is bad. It's perfectly edible." Gorou said in his defense.

"Well MAKE her eat if you have to. Madara will not be pleased if we hand over a toothpick. The less healthy a Hyuuga is, the weaker their Byakugan will become. Although, if he doesn't find use to her, I can certainly use her as a research subject…" Madara said sternly.

"Yes boss I'll feed her immediately."Gorou said, taking his leave.

"Add the special ingredient, we will depart tonight."

Hinata felt a wave of panic hit her and spread through her body. _'What did he mean by depart tonight? Where were they going to take me?'_

In a few seconds Gorou returned with another batch of his lovely mush, this time it had a blue-ish glow to it. He untied her hands, and she thought about gathering chakra into her hands to perform a jutsu…any jutsu that would get her out of there alive. It was a good idea, one problem though… she had a strong will, but her body was weak with hunger. She hadn't eaten since she was brought into this…prison. She always threw the food away and refused to eat. She could feel herself slowly losing her strength… She slowly shook her head when he offered her the plate.

"C'mon eat already," pleaded Tadao, "We are always getting in trouble because of you."

Gorou apparently gave up on the polite method, after Hinata had once again refused to eat his food and once again tied her hands together. He got the chopsticks and with one hand forcefully and with the other he shoved the food in her mouth. Hinata swallowed the food forcefully and made a face in disgust. She didn't think it would be that bad. Soon when she had almost eaten the whole plate, she felt her senses begin to dull. She made an effort to gather chakra into her eyes and managed to activate her Byakugan. She was about to try to rip the threads apart when suddenly her Byakugan deactivated and she fell back. Hinata barely realized she had been sitting up all this time. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kabuto return and smile menacingly

"She is ready for transportation…Now she won't give us any trouble… Get ready to leave at midnight." she heard him say as her world turned pitch black.

"Kabuto has Hinata!"Shouted Kiba enraged.

"Yes, but calm down, I sent Team 7 to Otogakure in hopes of finding Kabuto as well as Hinata. I already suspected that he had her in the first place."

"We have to help.."Kiba said frantically.

"I will save you in case something goes wrong and we need to track down either Team 7 or Kabuto. So for now all we can do is wait for a report from Kakashi…" Tsunade said sternly, "You won't be of help if you jump in there recklessly. It will only make matters worse than they already are…"

"Fine..."Kiba whispered as he stared out the window

Naruto was running from branch to branch, when suddenly he felt a pang in his chest that made him stop altogether.

Sakura noticed they had left the whiskered blonde behind, so she went back to see what was wrong. When she saw him, he was on his knees on a branch.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Hinata is in grave danger, time is running out… I feel it in here…" he said motioning to his chest and heart.

"C'mon Naruto we are almost at Otogakure… We WILL make it in time."Sakura assured.

"Let's hurry then, I promised I would save her no matter what…" Naruto said under his breath as he went to catch up with his teacher.

When they finally reached the end of the forest, they had a perfect view of the village in the distance.

"Finally, Otogakure…" Naruto whispered, "I'm coming Hinata…"

He hadn't taken even one step when a kunai landed in front of him, missing his face by inches landing on a rock. He noticed a tag on it, but it was too late… The paper bomb exploded and sent the trio spiraling backwards. It was followed by a sequence of smoke bombs and several kunai and shuriken.

'Not another ambush!" Naruto thought as he shielded his eyes from all the dirt flying around. His teammates were nowhere in sight, his vision was clouded by smoke…

_'Hinata…'_

Hehehehe…. My attempt at a cliffy… *evil smile* please excuse my sorry attempt to write a short fight scene… I'll do my best to improve…. Well until next time :D Please REVIEW…. I would really appreciate it! Without your reviews I might have just given up on this story. You guys are awesome T^T -PerfectAngels98


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**** Well here is the new chapter…. *huff* it's hard working on two fics at once but I can manage :D Thank you to all the people who have added this story to their favorites and also to the kind people who take the time to review! I love you guys, it's because of you that I continue writing this :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto blah blah blah…. Let's move on…**

**Like a Blossoming Rose…**

**A Naruhina Story**

**Chapter 4: So close…Yet so far…**

Naruto searched his surroundings and found only smoke… 'Great all I needed… another ambush…' He quickly got to his feet and soon the smoke started to clear. All he heard were the sharp noises of metal hitting against metal. His companions must be fighting already. All of a sudden, someone grabbed him from behind and Naruto quickly hit him with his elbow and sent his attacker spiraling backwards. He quickly made a familiar hand sign and a dozen Naruto clones appeared. When the field had gotten clear he saw Sakura punch the earth and make a crack so big, five of the rouge ninja fell in. There had to be at least twenty of them this time! Kakashi had uncovered his Sharingan and was sending enemies flying. Soon Naruto's clones had wiped out most of the ninja, but two remained… One was forming a slur of hand signs and a fireball missed Naruto's head by a couple of inches. The other launched a series of ice senbon, which Naruto wasn't so lucky to avoid. Sakura was going fine in pace with the one who had launched the fireball until…

"Sakura! Below you!" Kakashi yelled

She looked down, but it was too late… Someone erupted from the ground and managed to stab Sakura in the leg before she knocked him out.

"AHHH!" Sakura yelled in pain.

Naruto ran to her if it wasn't for two more ninja erupting from the ground. He noticed all these ninja were from Otogakure judging from their head protectors.

Sakura tried to heal her wound yet some flurry of movement left her on the ground as the ice ninja kept on throwing senbon at her, covered in poison.

Naruto rushed to her aid and used a clone to form a neat Rasengan. He caught the man off guard and rammed the ball of compressed chakra into him. He was about to be hit from behind, yet Kakashi took him out with a quick jab of his Chidori Blade. The one left used another fire technique that spewed small fire balls in all directions, and then he fled. They managed to dodge them, yet Kakashi managed to catch up to him. Naruto went to him, placing Sakura on a rock. Kakashi had him against a wall and motioned Naruto to come.

Naruto understood and quickly formed a clone as well as another Rasengan.

"Ok you have a choice of either cooperating or getting hit with this lovely ball Naruto is holding," Kakashi said calmly, "Which one will it be?"

"I'll never tell you anything." replied the man stubbornly.

"Fine… Naruto, get over here."

Naruto approached them and with each step he took, the man cringed. When he was no more than a couple of feet away from him, the man suddenly spoke.

"Okay okay, I'll cooperate, but please take that thing away… my skin is burning already."

The clone dissipated and so did the Rasengan. He came closer and held the man by the throat.

In a deep voice he asked, "You work for Kabuto don't you?"

The man gave a quick nod.

"Okay then… Where is Hinata?" Naruto said, all the while staring intensely at the man.

"Who?" asked the man innocently.

"Hinata! A girl my age with indigo hair and pale lavender eyes! The girl your good for nothing boss took! My friend!" Naruto said as silent tears slid down his whiskered cheeks.

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and said "Calm down Naruto…"

"How can I calm down when I don't even know if she is still alive?" Naruto yelled back.

"Oh her… She is still alive, though weak with hunger. Our leader plans to transport her in a couple of hours to a different location." The man whispered.

"What? Where are they going to take her!" Naruto turned to the man once more.

"I don't know… All I heard is that he was going to offer her to someone powerful in exchange for an alliance pact. Apparently the other person finds great interest in her byakugan."

"Where are they now?" Naruto spat.

"Near the base of the mountains in the east, about twenty minutes from here." The man responded.

Naruto let go and said, "Take us…"

They left the forest and returned to the clearing where Sakura was feebly trying to heal herself. Naruto ran to her side and knelt by her side.

"Sakura, are you okay?"Naruto asked her.

"Yea… It's just that this is extremely potent poison. The only one I know capable of making this type of poison are Tsunade and…. Kabuto." Sakura said the last part in a mere whisper.

"Naruto…" said Kakashi from behind him, "Go ahead and try to stop Kabuto… I know you are capable. I'll stay here and ask for reinforcements and protect Sakura. I'll ask for an antidote from Lady Hokage." He performed a Summoning Jutsu and a small dog appeared with his signature blue vest on with the scarecrow characters on the back. "Pakkun will accompany you."

"Yeah…" Naruto responded, "Take care, I will bring Hinata back."

When they turned around to face the Oto-nin he was gone… 'Oh well, I'll have to do this the hard way.'

Naruto dashed up a tree and got a clear view of Otogakure. He spotted the closest mountains that should be approximately about twenty minutes away. He climbed down and took off at full speed towards the mountains, being all the time followed Pakkun.

The doors swung open and a torn up ninja came in, holding his right arm. He limped towards the center of the room towards the cloaked figure sitting at a throne covered with snake emblems.

"What is it Daishi, did you manage to stop the advances of Team 7?" asked Kabuto with a slight threat in his tone.

"Well not exactly…"he started, as he saw a twitch in Kabuto's eye he quickly continued, "But, I did manage to injure a pink haired kunoichi and the silver haired one was going to stay with her. Yet the blonde one and a dog are still headed this way."

"Hmm… I see… Naruto Uzumaki is headed this way? Well, we can't wait much longer. Judging by your injuries you must have had contact with Naruto's Rasengan."

"He didn't even hit me though… the sphere radiated something that made my skin start to burn."

Kabuto nodded, he still remembered when he was almost struck with that deadly blue sphere that left him wounded for a couple of weeks. Yet it hadn't even touched him!

"We will depart in a couple of hours so get everything and leave no trace that we were here."

After twenty-two minutes, Naruto and Pakkun were close to the base of the mountain. Yet they never seemed to get any closer, no matter how much they ran. Suddenly Naruto stopped and Pakkun also came to a halt. He sat down in crossed legged position and when he opened his eyes, he had markings around them and his pupils had become small slits…the mark of a true Toad Sage. He thought pensively until finally he had the answer. When he opened his eyes again, they were once again normal and he began to run back where they had come from.

"Hey kid, um isn't this where we came from?"asked the small pug.

"Yea, I just realized we were tricked by a simple gen-jutsu. They cast as illusion to make us think we hadn't arrived yet while we had already passed it!" explained Naruto, "This is one of the times I wish I would've paid attention at the academy."

They ran for about another ten minutes until the blonde stopped again.

"It should be around here…"said Naruto while feeling the surrounding rock.

Pakkun was hopping from rock to rock until he slipped and fell on a small stone that had the vague appearance of a snake. Suddenly, at the base of the mountain the rock split and left an opening with stairs that led underground.

Naruto turned around and faced the dog with a huge grin.

"I could just about kiss you for this…" said Naruto.

"Ugh… let's leave it at a mere thanks and a bone for later…Ooh and maybe a nice belly rub when we get back…" said Pakkun as they descended underground.

Tsunade was staring out the window in the Hokage's Office dawdling and trying her best to avoid the paperwork piling up on her desk. She had sent Shizune on an errand to free herself from her nagging about her duties. The sun caressed her face warmly, and she closed her eyes… Suddenly she heard the sharp cry of a bird. She opened her eyes and saw a hawk or eagle flying in circles in the distance. She wasn't sure about the species, but she was sure it was Kakashi.

She swirled her chair around and was about to pick up the phone when Shizune came in.

"Lady Tsunade, what did I tell you about the paperwork? You should've at least done a page…" she was saying until Tsunade cut her off.

"Shut up Shizune and listen. Contact Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame; tell them to come here immediately. Team 7 is in serious trouble."

Shizune was a little shocked by her serious tone, and just replied "Yes Lady Tsunade." and quickly left.

In about ten minutes, Kiba and Shino entered the room.

"You boys probably know why I have called you." Tsunade said.

"Yea… So this means we finally get to be in the action and help in rescuing Hinata, right?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, Sakura got injured so Team 7 had to split up. Naruto went after Kabuto and Hinata, and Kakashi is taking care of Sakura. Your job is to track them and hand them the antidote and help if necessary."

"Alright! Come on Shino! Let's go rescue Hinata!" said Kiba enthusiastically.

Tsunade handed Kiba a small grey flask. "Go safely…"

Kabuto walked into the cell where Hinata was kept. He found her tied up, still unconscious. He was greeted by Gorou and Tadao who were ready to depart.

"Gorou, bring the girl, we are going to depart a little early…"

"Yes master." replied Gorou and nudged Tadao to get moving.

He had lifted the girl up when the door swung open.

"Stop right there, you are not taking my friend anywhere."

The two men turned around to find a blonde ninja with blue eyes and whiskered cheeks standing in the doorway.

"Naruto Uzumaki… We meet again." said the cloaked man as he faced Naruto.

"Kabuto Yakushi… You lowly piece of… give me Hinata back…"said Naruto menacingly.

"I would love to, except you see, I already agreed to hand her over to Madara."

"Madara?" Naruto raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Yes, Madara Uchiha…"

The name made his blood freeze… 'Another Uchiha? '

"Yes, he would be a very powerful ally in the war we plan to launch against the ninja countries."

Naruto froze in place. A war? Why did Madara need Hinata's byakugan? If he is an Uchiha, then how is he related to Sasuke?

His train of thought was interrupted when Kabuto struck his arm with his chakra scythe. His arm filled with pain, yet he still managed to form a hand sign and in a flash a hundred Naruto's filled the cell. Kabuto shot small chakra bullets from his hand and Naruto formed a Rasengan. In a couple of minutes Kabuto and Tadao took reduced his army of clones to two. Naruto aimed the Rasengan at Kabuto and ran to him. Kabuto dodged in time but Tadao wasn't as lucky as he flew backwards and hit the wall.

Naruto backed up and formed another Rasengan, yet this time it was bigger and looked like a…

"RASEN-SHURIKEN!" Naruto yelled as he threw the chakra shuriken in Kabuto's direction. It struck him and he yelled out in pain as his right arm and side were injured. He limped to Gorou and grabbed Hinata. He raised his hand sign to his lips and said, "See you around Naruto Uzumaki." He then disappeared into a cloud of smoke…Hinata gone as well.

Naruto fell to his knees and began to let the tears slip his defenses. His sadness soon turned to rage as he began to walk towards Gorou and punched him. He began to take out all his anger on him. When he was about to deliver the finishing blow, Pakkun stopped him and shook his small head. He let Gorou hit the floor and sat down.

"Sh-she m-might be near the grand hall office… I think M-Madara and some other Uchiha had a hideout near there…"with that, Gorou passed out. He would live…

"Hinata…where are you…"

Kabuto popped up in a cave underground and entered a room. He stumbled inside and placed Hinata on the floor. His hands began to glow green and he began to heal himself. He didn't imagine Naruto's Rasen-shuriken could cause this much damage and pain.

"Let me stay here for a while, as well as the girl. I know you don't care much for Madara, yet she can make him stronger, and he will make you stronger."

"Fine… Just while you heal…" replied a cold voice.

"Thank you…" Kabuto replied as he saw a pair of onyx eyes stare back. They suddenly turned red with a black star pattern, seeming to illuminate the room.

**Well there you have it… Hmmm wonder who the "onyx eyes" guy is…. xD hope you guys enjoy this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW BECAUSE EVERY LITTLE THING COUNTS AND MOTIVATES ME TO KEEP GOING! Even favorites without reviews if fine! I am nothing without you guys **

**- PerfectAngels98**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well here is the new chapter! Thank you nice people for all your reviews! You are the best!**

**I don't own Naruto or Hinata or nothing T.T**

**Like a Blossoming Rose…**

**A Naruhina Story**

**By: PerfectAngels98**

**Chapter 5: Key to Success: The Fang-Thing-Tornado Move**

Hinata awoke to a cold floor and a very dark room. Besides the torch on the wall, the room was pitch dark… being lit up a little and causing horrific shadows. Hinata tried to sit up, yet the drug's effects had not worn off and her head felt light. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching and Hinata's head snapped up, trying to see her surroundings better. She made out a barred door and a small window at the top of the left wall… She was in a cell.

"I see you have woken up Miss Hyuuga," said a voice that only belonged to one man, " We won't be staying here for long, our host might decide to turn on us and I am not in shape to fight… especially not against the Mangekyo."

'…The Mangekyo?' The name seemed familiar, she had heard it somewhere… Maybe Kurenai Sensei told her about it… All she knew was that it was some sort of advanced form of the Sharingan… And besides Itachi who was now deceased only two others had the Uchiha kekkei genkai Sharingan: Madara and….

"Kabuto… Are you healed yet? I don't like your presence in my domain…" said a cold familiar voice...

Hinata tried to see who was speaking yet the shadows hid the person well… She was certain she knew the owner of the voice… Yet who is it?

"Aww come on, didn't we both used to study together? I helped you train and gain your abilities… Sasuke…"

Realization hit Hinata in the face like a cup of ice cold water… Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha…. as in Naruto's best friend and the missing nin who betrayed Konoha?

"I owe you nothing… You saw what I did to Orochimaru; I had no ties with you… You and him were just another stepping stone on my road to gain more power… easily discarded."

Hinata noted as Kabuto's jaw tightened and anger flashed his snake-like face, but they were gone as soon as they appeared.

"Don't worry Sasuke, we will be leaving soon… by any chance you wouldn't happen to know where Madara is, do you? I will have to move quickly, for my last battle with Uzumaki was close… too close…"

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit, but he regained his composure quickly.

"Was he the only one?" inquired the Uchiha.

"According to my information, Hatake and Haruno were tagging along as well, yet the pink head got injured and the copy ninja stayed with her, causing Team 7 to split up."

At the mention of Sakura and Kakashi, Hinata saw Sasuke's face flash sadness yet it quickly turned into a smug smirk.

"Hah, I would rather enjoy confronting my old team… That would teach Kakashi to not use a kekkei genkai that is not his, yet belongs to the Uchihas!"

"Now now Sasuke, you will get your chance… For the time being let's bring our little girl to Madara…"

"He should be at the second hideout, the one that is about two miles from here…" said Sasuke, "Who knows, I might meet up with you later to join the fun, I am sure …Naruto will find you anywhere you go…"

"Hmm, I see you still believe in your friend Sasuke… maybe you still care…"

"Tch… I don't care for that dobe or anyone else who won't give me power."

His eyes widened as he unconsciously called Naruto by the old nickname he gave him.

"As you say… Well we will be leaving now so please release Hinata."

"Hn…"

Soon Hinata was out of the cell, yet seeing as she couldn't walk, he carried her and they vanished in thin air…

O~o~O

Sakura had lost most of her energy as the poison took over her body, slowly draining away her life. She leaned against a rock as Kakashi stood guard… She had healed her outer wounds yet the poison threatened her life…

"Sakura, hold on… Reinforcements are on their way." Kakashi tried to reassure the paling pink kunoichi.

"Ha… Tsunade-sama's pupil will not go down that easily…" she smiled weakly.

Suddenly various footsteps approached and Kakashi took on a fighting stance… only to be surprised by a huge dog.

"Never fear! Reinforcements are here!" said Kiba who was riding on Akamaru, with one of his biggest grins that would rival Naruto's.

Apparently he was thrilled to be saving the day. Shino quietly appeared besides him… well all was the same with the bug tamer.

"Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru… do you have the antidote?"

"Sure do!" said Kiba while patting his pocket.

His smile suddenly dropped and he patted again only this time he checked the other pocket as well. He patted his whole body and turned his pockets inside out.

"I-I swear I had it… I did."

Kakashi sweat dropped and turned a shade paler… Though Sakura was slowly growing weaker, her hands still turned into fists and her jaw tightened.

Shino walked up to them and slightly smacked Kiba's head. He reached inside his pocket and retrieved a grey flask and handed it to Kakashi.

"Seriously Kiba you have no sense of responsibility… What would you do without me?"

"He he…" said Kiba as he scratched the back of his head.

Kakashi immediately gave the antidote to Sakura who immediately had the color return to her face. She was still a little weak, but recovery wouldn't be a problem now…

"Shino, Kiba please stay with Sakura until she fully recovers and then meet up with us. I will try to find Naruto, I have a feeling that Hinata is still in danger and so is Naruto."

"Sure thing… We had nothing to do in the village anyways, right Shino?"

The bug tamer merely nodded in response.

"Well then, I'm off…"and with that Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

O~o~O

"Hinata where are you?" Naruto whispered as he roamed Otogakure's mountainside.

He had quickly left the hideout and resumed his search. Pakkun hopped around behind him and sniffed the ground.

"Hey kid, I think I caught a whiff of her scent. It is weird though, suddenly I feel as if it is right in front of us and then far away…"mumbled Pakkun.

"Huh? How is that possible?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know it is very confusing."

"Argh! We aren't getting anywhere…. Hinata! We need to find her! I will not stand to lose another person precious to me."

The kid seemed on the verge of tears again so Pakkun kept all comments to himself. He sniffed around and found a nice bush. He let the kid regain his composure as he went among his business. Soon Naruto was standing up again with a look of determination in his eyes.

"Let's go Pakkun…"

Both walked a distance until Pakkun stopped and circled the ground. It took Naruto a while before he realized the pug had stayed behind. He went back and found Pakkun sniffing the ground furiously. The blond shrugged and sat down and observed the dog. Suddenly the dog stopped and he was wagging his tail furiously.

"Kid, hey kid… I know where she might be!"

The whiskered boy had almost fallen asleep when he heard Pakkun. He quickly stood up and almost tripped in his haste. He scurried over to where Pakkun was smiling as if he had won a year's supply of dog treats.

"Where! Where is she?"

"Here…" he said as he pawed the dirt.

"He he… Not funny Pakkun, she isn't here or we would have seen her."

Pakkun sweat dropped and couldn't believe how dense Naruto could be.

"You idiot, she is underground! Right under from where we are!"

Naruto's eyes lit up in realization and he just kept on staring at the ground.

"That is why her scent was off… It was right under us all along!" stated Kakashi's dog.

Naruto pasted a goofy grin on his face and reached over to the dog. Pakkun in turn backed away.

"N-no need for so much gratitude… We will just leave it at thanks."

Naruto laughed yet then turned serious, "How will we get there?"

"Hmmm good question…"

"You wouldn't by any chance be able to-"

"No." Pakkun cut in, "It is a good ways deep and I am not willing to dig that deep. Not that I even could."

"Hmm… I know!" the blonde exclaimed, "Kiba can use that fang thing tornado move that can dig through the ground right?"

"Hmm, currently he is with Sakura and Shino waiting for her to recover."

'Sakura…' Naruto felt a small pang in his chest as he remembered that his pink haired friend had been injured.

"Kakashi is on his way here, I could go to him and get the trio that was left behind."Pakkun said, "Then that dog guy could use his tornado move thing you said."

"Alright! Hurry Pakkun!"

O~o~O

Pakkun disappeared and after about ten minutes he reappeared yet this time on the shoulder of a masked silver haired ninja.

"Yo…"the ninja saluted.

"Kakashi sensei! How is everybody?"

"Ask them yourself…"replied Kakashi.

As if on cue, a large dog appeared with Shino and Kiba in tow. Sakura was resting on Akamaru's back, but Naruto was glad to see she was better.

"Hey Naruto, long time no see."

"He he well if it isn't Kiba the dog boy…" replied Naruto with a smirk.

"Hey well dogs are better than toads any day." countered Kiba.

"Well enough about that we are here to save Hinata remember?" Shino put in.

"Oh right. Kiba we need you to use your fang thing tornado move to bust into Kabuto's hiding right here," he said as he tapped the ground "Hinata must be under here."

Kiba's eyebrow twitched as Naruto used a different move for his special technique.

"It's called the fang over fang technique. You should at least know the name of the move that will save your butt as well as Hinata's."

"He he… Well we can talk later how about you just do it already?"

"Oh right, ready Akamaru?" Kiba said enthusiastically.

"Woof!"

He gave Akamaru a pill and then the dog turned into a second Kiba…. Almost like a shadow clone, except this one is actually a living copy…

"Here we go… FANG OVER FANG!"

The two Kibas formed two tornado-like funnels and dove straight into the ground. Immediately the ground started giving away and opening like if it was clay.

Soon the gang followed after the two swirling funnels, even Sakura was well enough to walk by herself as she walked besides her team companions. Soon all the rumbling stopped and they reached the cave opening Kiba and Akamaru were already ahead exploring the tunnel. Naruto quickly caught up and found a door. They took it down and there she was… Hinata, tied up in a small cell.

"HINATA!" yelled both Naruto and Kiba in unison.

As soon as they rushed to the cell, five ninja appeared, each at jounin level. Kiba and Akamau took one, Naruto one, Shino one, and Kakashi took on two. Soon they were defeated and Sakura was already healing Kiba's wounded arm and Shino's twisted ankle. Naruto used a Rasengan to break open the cell and he rushed inside. He removed the gag from the unconscious Hinata and lifted her into his arms. He finally found her…. 'Hinata..'

The indigo haired girl slowly parted her eyelids to reveal pale lavender orbs.

"N-Naruto…?"

"Yea it's me… Let's get out of here."

O~o~O

"Lord Kabuto, Naruto Uzumaki has taken Hinata Hyuuga out of the second hideout."

"Good, he took the bait… Just as Madara wanted…"

The cloaked snake man turned and pressed a button on his throne. Suddenly, a small screen appeared and a map of Otogakure was visible. A single red dot was moving towards the south and then stopped about 10 miles from the second hideout where the Hyuuga had been rescued.

"We know where they are… and soon we will attack," said Kabuto, "The nine tails will finally be ours, as well as the Byakugan kekkei genkai…"

With that he let out a evil laugh that rang through the corridors.

"Watch out Naruto Uzumaki…. Kabuto Yakushi always gets what he wants…"

**Well that is it, until next time~ Please REVIEW…. If I get enough reviews I will write a new chapter extra quick :D**

**-PerfectAngels98**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I apologize for not updating in a while.. truth is I got depressed over the lack of reviews for this story here and on dA... *sigh* I don't know maybe this story is really bad and that's why no one likes it... Yet I know there are people out there who read this so for them I have updated... I'm giving this one last try... If I don't get at least five reviews then I might simply delete this story... I mean, one of my other stories already has twenty reviews and only two chapters... I guess the Vocaloid fanbase is bigger or something xD**

**Well enjoy and review if you think I should continue this story**

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><p><strong>Like A Blossoming Rose<strong>

**Chapter 6: I'll Make Him Proud!**

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><p>Hinata woke up and felt a warm sensation. Immediately by instinct she nuzzled against the welcoming heat. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized that it was NARUTO who was the source of the heat. He was carrying her! He looked down at her with sparkling blue eyes and gave her a broad grin. Of course that made Hinata blush darker than a tomato.<p>

"Hey Hinata, your finally awake." He said cheefully.

"N-naruto?"She said while looking around, "What happened?"

"Yup it's me! Don't worry your safe now we rescued you from those evil thugs!"

Hinata blushed and looked away before she got carried away by those blue eyes of his.

"Ummm N-naruto... Can you please put me down?"

Naruto blushed a little before stopping and putting her down. Hinata innerly pouted but she knew it was for the best. If he continued to carry her she would surely blush and pass out. That would make her a burden on Naruto.

She looked up ahead and noticed Sakura and Kakashi had stopped to wait for them. Kiba and shino were nowhere to be seen. Had she just imagined them when Naruto rescued her? Where were her teammates?

"N-naruto... Where are Kiba and Shino?"She silently cursed at herself for only stuttering on HIS name.

"Ohh, they had to do some stuff for granny Tsunade. They said to tell you to get better and that they miss you."

Hinata smiled brightly. She loved Kiba and Shino as if they were her very own siblings. Naruto was staring at her intensely until Hinata noticed and he turned away.

"You really are close to dog boy and creepy Shino aren't you?" He questioned her while looking in the opposite direction.

Hinata was a little taken a back by his question. Yet she didn't say anything because she was happy he was paying attention to her.

"Yes, they are like brothers to me. They always cheered me on and helped me in my weakest moments." She replied.

"Ahhh..."Naruto muttered, "Well that doesn't matter the important thing is that your safe."

_Naruto actually cares about me!_ She thought as a little victory dance was carried out. Then she blushed furiously.

"See? You're getting red again! Before I used to think you were sick but now I know it's just your personality. Either that or your blood flows irregularly. If that's the case then Sakura should have a look at you." He said sounding totally serious.

Hinata face-palmed. Even after she confessed he still didn't get the hint? She tried to think about something else before she reached her limit. If that happened she would most likely tell Naruto a thing or two while sending him flying with her gentle fist.

"So, where are w-we going" she asked.

"Eh? Ohh... Right. Grandma Tsunade said to take you to the Tea country because there you would be safe."

"Safe?"

"Yea, after you were kidnapped the Hyuuga decided it would be safer if you and your sister where taken into other countries where it would be less likely that neither Kumo nor Kabuto could get you. Originally, our mission was just to escort you there but since Kabuto may strike again we were ordered to stay and guard you..."

Hinata noticed how he went quiet after that, as if he were hiding something. She looked at him questioningly and he sighed and continued.

"Also, we have orders to capture... Sasuke if we saw him. Grandma said he was seen in Otto but we didn't find him."

He looked so sad...

Hinata pondered if she should tell him she had heard Sasuke talking with Kabuto. She knew it would hurt him, but she remembered those instances where she saw Sasuke's composure waver at the mention of his old team. She HAD to tell him; maybe it would help the mission...

"Hey Hinata are you okay? You went more silent than usual." The familiar voice of Naruto asked.

"Y-yes it's just that I remembered something..."She trailed off unsure if she should continue.

"Remembered what?"

"W-when K-kabuto took me to the other hideout after your fight with him... There was someone there."

"Who?"

"Sasuke Uchiha..." She whispered.

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at Hinata as if she had told him the last ramen in the world was gone.

Hinata didn't realise what happened next. Naruto grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against a tree. Hinata sqeaked and blushed as she was caught in an awkward position. Why was Naruto doing this?

"Where did you see him? Where was he? Was that idiot part of this too? Answer me!" His words seethed with anger and sadness.

Hinata's eyes widened. She looked directly into his wild blue eyes. He wouldn't hurt her would he? He was just mad... That's all...

"Naruto! What are you doing to Hinata! Let her go this instant!" Sakura said, ready to send him flying.

She was running towards him at full speed. She slowed down as she saw the moisture in his eyes. He let go of Hinata and slumped to the ground.

"Naruto?" The pink haired kunoichi asked cautiously.

"He was there. He was part of the plan. That stupid bastard was there! And I wasn't able to see him or bring him back!" He said between tears.

"Who was there?"She asked softly afraid to hear the answer.

"SASUKE UCHIHA!" He yelled from the top of his lungs.

Hinata cringed at the sound of his despair. Sasuke had been his first and only friend...

The silver haired jounin appeared behind Sakura and placed a hand on her shoulder. Though she had tried her best to remain unfazed, silent tears where sliding down her cheeks. Sasuke had been, or still IS, her only love...

Hinata felt a little left out. Even Kakashi seemed saddened by the news. Only Hinata was the outsider to the relationships these three had with Sasuke.

"H-he wasn't part of the plan..." Hinata whispered.

All three turned around to look at her at the same time. Their eyes urged her to continue in silence.

"K-kabuto was injured from N-naruto so he went to what I suppose was Sasuke's hideout. Sasuke seemed mad that Kabuto went to hide there. Kabuto seemed scared that he would turn on him so we left quickly... S-Sasuke still seems to have a soft spot for his old teammates..."

They looked at her in awe. Either they were surprised that Sasuke had been no part of Kabuto's plan and still remembered them, or that Hinata had spoken for more than five seconds AND without blushing! Both were astonishing facts...

"Hinata! You actually spoke for a long time!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura smacked him on the head, "Stupid idiot! Read the atmosphere!"

Hinata smiled, happy that her friends had forgotten about their gloomy state earlier. They rose and kept on moving.

"Ehhhhh Kakashi Sensei... How much longer?" Naruto asked.

"Not much more..."Kakashi replied, obviosly tired of this question.

Hinata silently watched Naruto as he ran in pace with her. His jaw was clenched, still angry about what Hinata had said. Sakura and Kakashi, who were in front, suddenly stopped. Naruto also stopped and went to stand infront of Hinata.

"What's wrong Sensei?" Naruto asked.

Hinata activated her byakugan and checked her surroundings. There were three men in the bushes, four in the highest treetops, two underground, and six directly in front.

"Ummm... Kakashi Sensei there is 15 men in total. There are different amounts in all directions... We're ambushed."

"Crap! We fell in a trap!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, it's the welcoming committee," Sakura said sarcastically, "Of course we're ambushed you moron!"

"Get ready to fight..." said Kakashi.

All four got into fighting stances. Out of nowhere a man materialized in front of them.

"Hand over the Hyuuga heiress and the nine-tails." The man ordered.

"I'm sorry but I don't think so. Thank you come again." Kakashi said with a smile.

"Very well..." He said as he disappeared and materialized about 5 yards away. In an instant, ten men appeared behind them. Wait... Ten? Hinata checked once more and realized that the numbers had doubled. The men kept on materializing and duplicating. Oh no... Her byakugan couldn't sense where the men were going to materialize next! Yet she could see the faint ripples as they STARTED to form.

"Naruto to your right!" Hinata yelled.

Naruto jabbed a kunai to his right where a man was barely forming... cutting him short and forcing him to fully transform.

"Thanks Hinata!" He said cheefully.

Hinata blushed at his compliment and once again resumed her gentle fist stance. Now that Naruto was with her she would have to show him what she could do. She had to show him that she'd changed and was no longer the weakling that had fought Neji oh so long ago.

The number of enemies was multiplying by the minute... Great, now what were we going to do?

Hinata looked at her teammates. Sakura's hands were glowing blue, Kakashi had his sharingan still covered and there were about 40 Narutos. So this must not be such a dire situation.

"They aren't real. They are like shadow clones... Only that the real ones DO have the ability to materialize or be completely invisible whereas the clones can only materialize once." Sakura said.

Hinata's heart sank. She would never be as smart as Sakura... But there is no time to think about that now... Now its time to help Naruto!

"Naruto, watch out!" Sakura yelled, but it was too late.

"Wha-?" He exclaimed as a clone shot a gooey liquid at him which fully covered him from his feet to his shoulders.

"Whaaaa! This thing is strong! I can't move! Why is it always me?" He yelled.

Kakashi and Sakura tried to see which ones were the REAL attackers, not clones. Hinata studied her opponents and noticed the real ones were in the trees while the clones did all the work.

"Sakura! The real ones are in the trees!" Hinata said.

"Right!" The pink head said.

Hinata quickly got in front of both Sakura and Kakashi. "You two can go up there and defeat the main ones... I'll keep the clones busy." Now is my chance, she thought, I can make Naruto proud!

Both ninja nodded and disappeared into the trees. Hinata stood there alone... Against many clones.

"Hinata! You can do it! I know you can do it!" Naruto yelled, even though he was still caught in the goo thing.

Hinata nodded. A look of determination crossed her pale features. She would not let Naruto down!

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams, Sixty Four Palms!"

Hinata began forming a thin web of chakra in front of her and shooting chakra from her palms. They took the shape of thin sharp blades as they pierced clone after clone, taking down five at a time. Her movements became faster, more flexible, making her oppenents crumble. The clones disappeared in a matter of minutes. Since they couldn't materialize again it was an easy task for Hinata.

She fell to her knees, a small sheet of sweat covering her brow. "Hinata you did great!" Said Sakura, from above.

"Yeah Hinata! That was awesome!" Naruto praised, "Ehhh, can someone help me?"

"Let me crack that open..." Sakura said grinning menacingly.

"No no Sakura... I can manage somehow..." Naruto said.

"U-um maybe I can help?" Hinata mumbled while poking her index fingers together.

"Eh, you Hinata?' Kakashi said, currently handing upside down from a tree.

She nodded furiously and turned red. Sakura smirked, "Sure Hinata, all the power to you."

Hinata kneeled by Naruto and activated her Byakugan. Slowly she gathered chakra in her hand and shot a small blade-like light. The chakra cut open the goo cocoon, slowly and carefully dissolving it.

Naruto was soon able to get out of the mold he was in. "Thanks Hinata!" He said, tackling her in a hug, oblivious to the fact that the blushing Heiress was close to fainting.

"Naruto! Let her go or you're going to have to carry her again!"

"Ehhh?" Naruto said as he noticed he had a limp Hyuuga in arms, "Oi, Hinata! Wake up! Come on!" He shook the girl back and forth.

"NARUTOO!" Sakura said as she smacked him, "YOU IDIOT!"

"Master Kabuto, the leaf ninja are now moving towards the Land of Tea."

"Ahhh... I take it that they defeated your clones then?" sneered Kabuto.

"Y-yes." The man stuttered from Kabuto's menacing aura.

"Excellent. Due to the fight I was able to study their techniques a little further. The Hyuuga surprised me, I expected her to fail just like in the Chunin Exams... Yet she is much more promising now..."

The room went eerily silent.

"They don't even know what lies ahead of them."

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><p><strong>AN: So yeah... I don't know if I should continue this... people like CAKEESUKI made me realize that people are still waiting for a new chapter**

**so thank you to the following:**

**Cakeesuki**

**.**

**ChewieCookies**

**Anon**

**RoseTiger**

**and Az-Sticker for your moral support. I love you guys TuT**


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